Latest news with #SyrianDruze
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Ally Issues Ominous Warning Over Middle East War
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Turkey's foreign minister has warned that the NATO member country could intervene in Syria to deter what it sees as emerging threats to its national security following recent violence and Israeli military operations. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department, the Syrian government and the Israeli Prime Minister's office for comment. Why It Matters The threat highlights the danger of Syria becoming a direct battleground for the Middle East's major military powers. Turkey, which maintained a significant military presence in Syria throughout the civil war, remains entangled in a country that sits at the intersection of conflicts involving major Middle Eastern powers — Israel, Iran, and Turkey and also has a presence of ISIS. A broader regional war could also pull in the United States, which has backed Syria's interim leader in efforts to end the conflict, reshape alliances, and push for more peace treaties with Israel. Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are close to President Donald Trump, but they remain deeply at odds over Gaza and Syria. Syrian Druze people cross back into Syria as they walk at the Israeli-Syrian border, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, Thursday, July 17, 2025. Syrian Druze people cross back into Syria as they walk at the Israeli-Syrian border, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, Thursday, July 17, 2025. Leo Correa/AP Photo What To Know Turkey "views any attempt to divide Syria as a national security threat and would directly intervene" if necessary, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, blaming both Israel and armed Syrian factions for fueling unrest in Syria's Druze-majority south, according to Daily Sabah's website. "As Türkiye, we could never stay silent against such a move," Fidan was quoted as saying on Tuesday at a news conference with his El Salvadorian counterpart in Ankara. Israel launched airstrikes on government sites in Syria last week, citing the need to protect the Druze community after accusing the Syrian government forces of violence against the religious minority sect in the southwest — where hundreds of people were killed in clashes with Bedouin tribes in Suwayda. Israel's intervention marked a new escalation in its expanding military operations in Syria. "Israel is unwilling to see a stable country around itself and aims to divide Syria with the violent unrest in southern Suwayda province," Fidan said. Israel's actions in Syria have drawn sharp condemnation from Turkey, which supported a number of the rebel factions that participated in the operation to oust Assad, particularly the Syrian National Army. Israel has warned Turkey against using Syrian territory to launch attacks that could destabilize the region. What People Are Saying Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, according to Türkiye Today's website: "If the groups in Syria move toward division and destabilization, Türkiye will consider it a direct threat to its national security and will intervene. Israel pursues a policy aimed at weakening its region and keeping it in chaos." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in April: "We don't want to see Syria being used by anyone, including Turkey, as a base for attack on Israel." What Happens Next The Syrian government has vowed accountability over the Suwayda incidents while a fragile U.S.-backed truce with Israel holds. Risks are growing of a bigger conflict.
Egypt Independent
a day ago
- Egypt Independent
US citizen among eight Druze family members executed during Syria's sectarian violence
CNN — An American citizen from Oklahoma was among eight men, all family members, rounded up and killed in an execution-style attack during the sectarian violence that flared in Syria last week. Hosam Saraya, a 35-year-old Syrian-American, was identified by a friend and a US relative as one of eight men whose killing was captured on a video that circulated on social media over the weekend. The video, which has been geolocated by CNN, shows a group of armed men wearing military uniforms and face masks firing on eight captives while shouting 'God is great.' CNN cannot independently verify the identify of the gunmen in the video. A friend of the Saraya family said he believed they were militants aligned with the government. A school in Suwayda founded by Hosam Saraya also blamed government-linked fighters for the attack. CNN has reached out to the Syrian government for comment. Saraya's brother Kareem and other family members were also executed, according to the US relative, who asked not to be named for her safety. She spoke directly with relatives in Syria who said the family's male members had all been killed – leaving only their wives and daughters. The killings occurred on July 17 amid an outbreak of sectarian violence between Syrian Druze groups and Bedouin tribes in the Druze-majority Suwayda province. Saraya, who had studied in Oklahoma before returning to Syria, belonged to the Druze community, an Arab religious group of roughly one million people who primarily live in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. He had gone to Syria to care for his father who was ill, the US relative said. The relative said female family members who survived the massacre recalled how militants had stormed the family's multi-story home early in the morning, prompting the residents to fight back in defense. After one of the family members was wounded, the rest surrendered their weapons, she said, and the men were taken outside. The friend who CNN spoke to corroborated these details, saying he witnessed the militants storm the home and forcibly remove eight men, while leaving female family members inside. 'Pray for us' The US relative first learned of the attack when one of the female survivors sent her a desperate message: 'Pray for us, they kidnapped the boys, they shot the house, they stole stuff'. Twelve hours passed as the family desperately waited for news, hoping their relatives would return safely. It wasn't until another overseas relative saw the videos circulating of their execution that they realized the eight men had been killed. The friend who spoke to CNN said relatives later told him the captives were marched 200 meters to Tishreen Square, where they were lined up and executed. One of the men had sent a final message to friends that read, 'Come and help us if you can. They surrounded us,' the friend said. The friend, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, identified Hosam Saraya's body after watching the video. 'I don't know how monsters can do that,' the US relative told CNN. Asked about Saraya, the US State Department confirmed Monday that an American citizen had died in Suwayda. It did not offer details about the death but said it was 'greatly concerned when any US citizen is harmed overseas, wherever they are' and called 'for accountability in all cases where US citizens are harmed abroad.' Oklahoma Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin also confirmed the killing of an American from the state in Syria. 'Hosam was an Oklahoman and member of the Druze community who was tragically executed alongside other members of his family in Syria,' Lankford wrote on X. 'We are praying for his family, friends, and the entire community as they grieve this senseless loss.' Mullin wrote on X that an 'American citizen from Oklahoma' was 'brutally executed alongside his family members in Syria,' adding he was working with partners in the region to learn more. His tweet did not name the Saraya family. Widespread violence between the Druze minority and Bedouin tribes in southern Syria erupted on July 13 and has left hundreds dead in the latest explosion of sectarian bloodletting since the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a coalition of Islamist rebels. The violence drew Israeli intervention in support of the Druze, as well as US condemnation and an international scramble to stop the fighting spiraling further. The Syrian government said over the weekend that clashes in Suwayda had stopped after a ceasefire agreement was reached between the government, Druze groups, and Bedouin tribes. A separate ceasefire was agreed between Syria and Israel. The deal was announced by US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who said it was 'embraced' by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries.
Ya Libnan
a day ago
- Ya Libnan
US citizen among eight Druze family members executed in Syria
Hosam Saraya, a 35-year-old Syrian-American, was among eight men whose killing was captured on a video that circulated on social media over the weekend. From Instagram An American citizen from Oklahoma was among eight men, all family members, rounded up and killed in an execution-style attack during the sectarian violence that flared in Syria last week. Hosam Saraya, a 35-year-old Syrian-American, was identified by friend Bahaa Imad and a US relative as one of eight men whose killing was captured on a video that circulated on social media over the weekend. The video, which has been geolocated by CNN, shows a group of armed men wearing military uniforms and face masks firing on eight captives while shouting 'God is great.' CNN cannot independently verify the identify of the gunmen in the video. It has reached out to the Syrian government for comment. Saraya's brother Kareem and other family members were also executed, according to the US relative, who asked not to be named for her safety. She spoke directly with relatives in Syria who said the family's male members had all been killed – leaving only their wives and daughters. The killings occurred on July 17 amid an outbreak of sectarian violence between Syrian Druze groups and Bedouin tribes in the Druze-majority Suwayda province. Saraya, who had studied in Oklahoma before returning to Syria, belonged to the Druze community, an Arab religious group of roughly one million people who primarily live in Syria, Lebanon , Jordan, US and Israel. He had gone to Syria to care for his father who was ill, the US relative said. The relative said female family members who survived the massacre recalled how militants had stormed the family's multi-story home early in the morning, prompting the residents to fight back in defense. After one of the family members was wounded, the rest surrendered their weapons, she said, and the men were taken outside. Bahaa Imad, a 20-year-old friend of the Saraya family, corroborated these details, saying he witnessed the militants storm the home and forcibly remove eight men, while leaving female family members inside. The US relative first learned of the attack when one of the female survivors sent her a desperate message: 'Pray for us, they kidnapped the boys, they shot the house, they stole stuff'. Twelve hours passed as the family desperately waited for news, hoping their relatives would return safely. It wasn't until another overseas relative saw the videos circulating of their execution that they realized the eight men had been killed. Imad said relatives later told him the captives were marched 200 meters to Tishreen Square, where they were lined up and executed. One of the men had sent a final message to friends that read, 'Come and help us if you can. They surrounded us,' Imad said. Imad identified Hosam Saraya's body after watching the video. 'I don't know how monsters can do that,' the US relative told CNN. Asked about Saraya, the US State Department confirmed Monday that an American citizen had died in Suwayda. It did not offer details about the death but said it was 'greatly concerned when any US citizen is harmed overseas, wherever they are' and called 'for accountability in all cases where US citizens are harmed abroad.' Oklahoma Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin also confirmed the killing of an American from the state in Syria. 'Hosam was an Oklahoman and member of the Druze community who was tragically executed alongside other members of his family in Syria,' Lankford wrote on X. 'We are praying for his family, friends, and the entire community as they grieve this senseless loss.' Mullin wrote on X that an 'American citizen from Oklahoma' was 'brutally executed alongside his family members in Syria,' adding he was working with partners in the region to learn more. His tweet did not name the Saraya family. Widespread violence between the Druze minority and Bedouin tribes in southern Syria erupted on July 13 and has left hundreds dead in the latest explosion of sectarian bloodletting since the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a coalition of Islamist rebels. The violence drew Israeli intervention in support of the Druze, as well as US condemnation and an international scramble to stop the fighting spiraling further. The Syrian government said over the weekend that clashes in Suwayda had stopped after a ceasefire agreement was reached between the government, Druze groups , and Bedouin tribes. A separate ceasefire was agreed between Syria and Israel. The deal was announced by US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who said it was 'embraced' by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries. The uniformed gunmen that executed several Druze were reportedly Syrian security forces who joined the Bedouin tribes in their attacks against the Druze . Hundreds of Druze including women and children were killed by the Syrian security forces, many at close range. They also looted several of their homes and set them on fire CNN
CNA
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Israel, Syria leaders agree on ceasefire: US envoy
US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said on Friday (Jul 18) that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire supported by Türkiye, Jordan and neighbours. On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying that Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze - part of a small but influential minority that also has followers in Lebanon and Israel. "We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity," Barrack said in a post on X.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Israel and Syria agree to ceasefire, US ambassador to Turkiye says
US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack said on Friday that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire supported by Turkiye, Jordan and neighbors. On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying that Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze — part of a small but influential minority that also has followers in Lebanon and Israel. 'We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity,' Barrack said in a post on X.
